US Soldier Drops F-Bombs on Iraqi Kids

[RedEarth]

US Soldier Drops F-Bombs on Iraqi Kids
Soldier's Video Includes Too Much Obscenity For MSM Telecast
Posted 3 hr. 10 min. ago
With so many U.S. military service members doing heroic work in Iraq, it's sickening to see a U.S. soldier do something this offensive and idiotic.

This video posted on LiveLeak yesterday has already been viewed more than 37,000 times, with most viewer comments being harshly negative.

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/1214/US_Soldier_Drops_F-Bombs_on_Iraqi_Kids

[illinoisprogressive]

1. thanks for posting. I cannot watch as I hate when people do cruel things

to kids and animals.

[tblue]

4. It's not physical violence, it's a sick stupid joke played on these innocent kids

I guess it's relatively harmless, the kids don't know what they're saying. But it's symbolic of what little respect the US shows the Iraqi people. No wonder so many of them hate us.

[BeHereNow]

2. "Why do 'they' hate us?"

Gee, I wonder.
BHN

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. ...

"They train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write 'fuck' on their airplanes because it's obscene!"

-Colonel Kurtz

[Blue-Jay]

5. "One stupid asshole" does NOT equal "entire military".

[BeHereNow]

6. Unfortunately, that is not the way it works.

The focus is ALWAYS on the crack, not the whole cup.
One crack is all it takes to destroy the value of the entire vessel
and between this video and the one of the soldier torturing the
lame dog, the rape and murder of Abu and her family,
the torture photos, Haditha, and countless other incidents,
I must say I have an terrible time holding
any positive regard for our troops at this point.

Perhaps this aberrant behavior is due to the
military continuing to "lower the bar" for enlistees
due to the growing shortage of volunteers?

Could be.
Do we really want miscreants and people without empathy
or character representing the rest of us?
I don't.

BHN

[originalpckelly]

7. Until I see evidence that everyone over there is a bad guy...

I think that's completely out of line.

[BeHereNow]

13. You are entitled to your opinion, however-

In a world that grows increasingly disgusted with America,
this soldier who conducted this little "interview" only
adds fuel to the fire of hatred.
I'm not saying that there are not good people in the service-
my nephew is one of them. BUT, that is not what the world
sees; they see the acts of cruelty and that becomes the focus and
foundation for the opinion of Americans as a culture and people.
To believe otherwise is somewhat delusional and
self deceiving.

Was there not ONE military bystander in the situation
who said, "Stop, what you are doing is criminal and
only endangers the rest of us?"

BHN

[The Stranger]

41. Those who blindly "support the troops" avoid the reality of what the troops do.

Besides, asking for evidence that "everyone is a bad guy" obliterates your credibility. There is some percentage that are "bad guys," and this is indisputable.

[The Stranger]

39. But the "SUPPORT THE TROOPS!" stickers and rallies include this "person."

So these actions do reflect on the entire military.

[Booster]

8. Why do I get the feeling that this soldier's mom and dad would

be really proud of him in this video?

[Traxus]

9. Irrelevant.

Cut some slack. War is stresful.

Why focus on some minute detail instead of the larger, more leathal problem.

Lets focus on getting our boys and girls out instead of their dirty mouths.

[Dora]

10. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Damn Right! Welcome To DU!

:toast:

[newyawker99]

26. Hi Traxus!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[tabasco]

30. A failure of leadership is not irrelevant.

Do you think Abu Ghraib is irrelevant too?

The idiot soldier is taping himself violating the UCMJ. He should be punished.

"Cutting some slack" is NOT the answer in cases like this. Military discipline requires corrections on the spot or you WILL have another Abu Ghraib.

I was an infantry commander and "cutting some slack" is the WRONG answer if you see a soldier ABUSING CHILDREN.

Swift punishment is the CORRECT answer and one that I personally administered during my tenure as commander.

[magellan]

37. Thank you for that

Discipline and principles. If we don't demand them, we do have Abu Ghraib.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. I Still Find Needless Attacks Like This On Our Troops To Be Misguided And Disgraceful.

Tell me: What possible relevance does this possibly have? Do you believe for a second that there aren't tens of thousands of american teenagers who aren't troops that do this every day within our borders? You are cherry picking just a soldier of over a hundred thousand troops behavior for what possible reason? This helps how? What is the relevance here?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Exactly.

I'm more worried about the 500 Iraqi civilians we're killing every day.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

15. I'm Worried About Them And Our Troops.

[INDIA]

35. If you think WE are killing 500 civilians every day...

Then you need to read more than the newspaper headline.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

43. Those 500 people everyday...

would still be alive if not for the US.

[INDIA]

45. Thank you for clarifying your incorrect comment. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

49. Incorrect on the "incorrect" comment.

Those 500 dead everyday is entirely the fault of the United States.

Everybody who supports this war has their blood hands.

Present company included.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. Sorry, Our Troops Are Brave Heroes Of Which I Pray For With All My Heart.

I feel for them; all of them, and look forward to their safe return.

[Squatch]

21. I take it that you've actually served with troops to form that opinion.

:shrug:

[brentspeak]

24. Yeah, really. Some people just can't wait to get on DU to be divisive, bash troops

[brentspeak]

23. DUMB, Ignorant, and Know-Nothing Post Of The Day candidate

[Nihil]

27. Open your eyes and open your mind

> Tell me: What possible relevance does this possibly have? ...
> This helps how? What is the relevance here?

The relevance is that this guy, his cameraman and his colleagues
are now "representing" the US armed forces to the world thanks to
this clip on a public site.

The relevance is that this mindless prat has dragged the image of
the US forces that little bit lower into the mire.

The relevance is that it is yet another case of "ugly American".

> Do you believe for a second that there aren't tens of thousands
> of american teenagers who aren't troops that do this every day
> within our borders?

Not for a second. I'm sure that few of the other viewers would think
that either. It's all too easy to believe and just reinforces their
opinion of Americans. You think this is a good thing?

> You are cherry picking just a soldier of over a hundred thousand
> troops behavior for what possible reason?

Consider what you've just said. You appear to be suggesting that
this was the only "bad apple", the only one of "over a hundred thousand"
to do such a thing? Even though the guy obviously wasn't there alone.
Even though there have been many, many far worse incidents (Abu Ghraib
ring any bells? More "bad apples" ... the lists have been around.)
They are all just "cherry picking"?

Maybe you should consider that when there are so many "bad apples" to
choose from, so many cases to "cherry pick" then maybe the orchard is
a bit over-stocked with bad fruit?

:shrug:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

36. Spare Me The 'Open Your Mind' Garbage. And Your Assertion That There Are So Many Bad Apples Is Junk

We have what, like 150,000 troops there?

Tell me oh wise one, just how many of them can you verifiably list as bad apples? 100? 200?

Hey, guess what: You're talking about a tenth of a goddamn percent. Now if you want to consider that to be "so many bad apples" and "the orchard a bit over-stocked with bad fruit" I can't stop ya. But I think the statement is pathetic and a total smack in the face to our brave men and women over there.

And threads like this get to me because they only serve ONE purpose and ONE purpose only: That's to get the viewer/reader to have a negative and disgusted reaction towards our troops over there, even if by only referencing one troop or a few. That's the only point to threads like this. They cherry pick videos containing just a few troops doing bad things that our kids do here every goddamn day, with the only intention being to say "look at what some of our troops are doing over there!!!!!!"

Well sorry, but there is NO purpose served by showing this video other than to leave a bad impression of our troops. Our men and women are dying over there and are facing nightmares every goddamn day. The fact one soldier drops an F bomb on some Iraqi children is so friggin petty it's pathetic.

Have whatever opinion of it and our troops that you want. That's mine, and I find your insinuation that disgusting behavior is systemic amongst our troops to be nothing short of disgusting.

[Leopolds Ghost]

38. OPMC, the soldier WANTED us to see this video!! Many soldiers (& loved ones) dislike the "natives".

They think the "natives" have no right to resent our presence,

Quartering in their houses illegally like the Redcoats did.

What do you have to say about THAT practice??

[brentspeak]

48. How do you know that many soldiers (& loved ones - ?) dislike the Iraqis?

[Nihil]

40. Calm Down And Get Back Inside Your Insular World

> Well sorry, but there is NO purpose served by showing this video other
> than to leave a bad impression of our troops. Our men and women are dying
> over there and are facing nightmares every goddamn day.

My My. Did Someone Get A Nasty Wake-up Call On How The World Sees You?

> Tell me oh wise one, just how many of them can you verifiably list
> as bad apples? 100? 200?

Interesting word "verifiably" ... if there are no reports of atrocities
(due to a lack of non-embedded journalists and a less than honest PR
department) do they not exist?

You go back to your dream of honesty, integrity and apple pie for all.

> That's the only point to threads like this.

No. It might also educate a few ostriches which might, in turn, end up
saving a few lives.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

42. Aww, That's So Cute How You Think Being Dismissive Makes You Cool Or Something. So Silly.

Fact is, you can't defend your position whatsoever. You want people to think that there is some systemic problem with bad apples amongst our troops, yet you have nothing you can provide to back up that asinine assertion. All you have is your blanket statements rooted in ignorance and a seeming tone of bitterness towards our brave and heroic men and women serving overseas that don't deserve it.

So feel free to continue throwing out your indefensible disparaging comments towards our troops. I'll feel free to continue to find them to be absolutely disgusting.

:hi:

[Nihil]

44. Aw, That's So Cute How Your Innocent Childish Typing Matches Your Views

You simply don't read (or remember) more than one sentence do you?

I am pointing out how this event - trivial though it is - merely
*adds* to the world's view of the US forces in Iraq (and elsewhere).

I don't want "people to think that there is some systemic problem
with bad apples amongst our troops" ... many people outside of your
border already think that. Like it or not. I don't.

I am prepared to accept that this "less than one percent" element
is an unfortunate side-effect of lowering the recruitment standards
combined with the current administration's ongoing goal to dumb
everyone down to the educational level of the POTUS.

> All you have is your blanket statements rooted in ignorance ...

Are you claiming that this event did not happen?
That Abu Ghraib did not happen? That Fallujah did not happen?
That no weddings were bombed? That no farmers were massacred?
No?
Maybe my "blanket statements" *are* using too broad a brush
(and for that I apologise) but they are rooted in fact, not ignorance.

> ... and a seeming tone of bitterness towards our brave and heroic
> men and women serving overseas ...

Give me a break ... and to think you slagged off my choice of words?
:eyes:

> So feel free to continue throwing out your indefensible disparaging
> comments towards our troops. I'll feel free to continue to find them
> to be absolutely disgusting.

Good. As long as you're happy with something in this world you do that.
:hi:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

46. ...

:boring: :boring: :boring:

[Nihil]

50. QED

After your bedtime was it?

:hi:

[tabasco]

29. WTF are you talking about?

Needless attacks? The video was filmed by the asshole himself!! This is inappropriate conduct by a service member and if I was his commander, he would get an Article 15 for this shit. As part of my official duties, I have punished soldiers for stealing from and otherwise abusing civilians. This conduct is a violation of the UCMJ and the asshole should be punished.

I hold military people in very high regard but this video is simply a slice of the truth. If you don't like what you are seing - that's good! Nobody should like to see this shit but it is stuff that people should be allowed to see.

I served ten years in the infantry and commanded troops in combat and stuff like this makes me puke.

But I believe people have a right to see it. Apparently, the soldier wanted others to see it because he is the onE who VIDEOTAPED IT.

[brentspeak]

16. I don't see what the big deal about this is. I read worse language on DU.

[1620rock]

18. It's just one more God damned reason to get out of Iraq now! n/t

[Squatch]

20. Because soldiers have bad language?

What in the fuck, over?

[Karenina]

22. Of course, you don't.

It's just a prank. Boys gotta let off steam somehow. :puke:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. Not Sure Why You Think Your Sexist Comment Is Warranted Towards Him, But Whatever.

[tabasco]

33. The soldier is verbally abusing and humiliating children in war zone.

Not only is this despicable personal conduct, it is a violation of the UCMJ. This soldier needs to be punished.

I was an infantry commander in combat and I punished soldiers for stealing from civilians and I would certainly punish a soldier in my unit for something like this. My battalion commander always supported me 100% and we put discipline problems like this to an end immediately.

But hey - no big deal. An armed individual in a position of power verbally abusing and humiliating children in a war zone.

SIR, HAVE YOU NO DECENCY?

[brentspeak]

34. I didn't watch the video (video problems on my computer). I only read the OP,

which said that the troop was throwing around some profanity. If he was abusing the kids, then it's justified that you're outraged.

[Little Wing]

28. so fucking what?

[TroglodyteScholar]

31. Real fucking funny..... n/t

:eyes:

[MyNameGoesHere]

32. there is no problem here

this is a republican war with republican values. See no problem. I encourage them to act like republicans, it will end the war for them "quicker"

[LSK]

47. this situation does not happen when you have a plan

And you do not do wars of choice and when you have clear goals.

The troops are caught in a hopeless situation with no end in sight, poor equipment, no clear plans, stoplossed indefinately.

You are bound to find stressed out soldiers and these situations.